


I am NOT Christine!

by CharlotteGoldfinch



Category: POTO - Fandom, Phantom of the Opera
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-01-16 03:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1329754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteGoldfinch/pseuds/CharlotteGoldfinch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christina falls asleep listening to the Music of the night from the Phantom soundtrack. Can't be that bad, surely?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"You alone can make my song take flight…

Help me make the music of the night…."

I sat with my headphones in, my knees up to my chest and my eyes fixated on the screen in front of me. I was watching the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera for what might have been the 50th time in a month. I adored seeing the Cast and the Crew, especially the leading roles Phantom and Christine be played astonishingly by Ramin and Sierra (Or as I call the pairing 'Rierra'). I liked Hadley Fraser too, just not as much as Ramin.

"Christina!" I heard my mum shout and I took out my headphones, I didn't realise how late it had gotten, I was obviously too engrossed in watching the production that I lost track of time.

She walked into my room and sighed at me, I was still watching the production, although paused on a blurred, imperfect screen shot of Ramin, "Christina, come on, it's late, it's time for you to sleep, No discussion, school is more important than watching this." She said, and closed down my laptop, before giving the top of my head a kiss and walking out, switching my light off as she did.

I picked up my phone and plugged it in to charge before placing it on the side with my headphones plugged in ready to listen to music before I slept. It always helped me when I couldn't sleep. I changed into my pyjamas and placed on my dressing gown. I wasn't going to sleep JUST yet. My dressing gown reminded me a little like Christine's – that's why I liked it even more. Once I used to stand in my room and 'sing' to my mirror, as if a masked man would take me down to his lair and sing to me…

I sat back on my bed and pulled back the covers, slipped under and turned on my music. I specially downloaded the Original London Cast performing the album of the 25th anniversary because I loved the ensemble and Ramin of course… I shuffled the songs in the album and it landed on the Overture, naturally it scared the living daylights out of me, but I soon got over it and shut my eyes to go to sleep. Before I knew it The Music of the Night was playing again, and I felt myself drift off into sweet serenity, Ramin's voice flooding my ears.

'Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams,

Purge all thoughts of the life you knew before…

Close your eyes and let your spirit start to soar. . . . . . . . '


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning feeling fresh as ever, as if I had slept for a hundred years. I wasn't as tired as I normally was when I woke up any other day. But this day…I felt…I felt different… As if I wasn't myself…

"Christine…Christine!" I heard a females voice call, funny, she sounded a lot like Daisy Maywood, the actress who played Meg Giry. No…It couldn't have been. It's impossible. I felt my arm get pulled from my side, and turned to look at the petite girl gripping my forearm. She was in a ballet tutu, and she had perfectly perm-curled hair which reached her mid-back, she stood in the ballet-dancers starting pose, the left foot tucked carefully behind the right, "There you are, Christine! Come on, Mother is waiting to start rehearsals, and a certain Opera Patron is looking for you, go quick, you can join rehearsals after you've spoken to him" she quickly said, before running off, leaving me more confused than before.

A certain Opera Patron… What was I doing at an Opera? Where was I? And why was I there?

"Ah Miss Daaé, There you are!" An older top-bald man exclaimed and walked over to me. He was wearing a Light Brown tuxedo, complete with bow tie and top hat. It was getting odd, because he looked exactly like Monsieur Firmin, one of the new owners of the Opera House similar to The Phantom of the Opera. What was even odder, though, was he looked the spit image of Barry James, the man who played Firmin at the 25th. Something wasn't right. I didn't like where this would end up… "Miss Daaé, we have a certain guest of whom we would like you to meet," He began, gesturing his arm to the side, as if ushering me to look towards the door. And there, stood right in the doorway was a dapper man dressed in a dapper suit. He had gold brown hair with dirty-blonde highlights. He looked like Hadley Fraser, the actor who played Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny… Of course he did! Hadley Fraser, Daisy Maywood and Barry James…what would they be doing at an Opera-…?

I knew it now… I knew where I was. I was inside the Opera Populaire! But why was I there?

"Miss Daaé" I heard Firmin say, "Miss Daaé…" I didn't know why, but I couldn't answer him. I think it was the overload of pure genius and pure looks stood in front of me caused me to disable any chances of me forming a string of words to even form a sentence easy enough to comprehend.

"Allow me, Monsieur, please," and the dapper man walked over to me, I had to keep my breath steady, if not, I would have screamed with delight. Having Hadley Fraser walk over to you, to talk to you, it was most definitely an honour if anything.

"Tell me…Miss Daaé, do you remember this?" he said, and pulled out a long red handkerchief out of his pocket and grinning foolishly. The red scarf… Yes…That's Raoul, alright. I thought to myself before smiling back and taking the scarf from his hands. "The red scarf, I remember it clearly, Uhm…Uh-" He took my hand, cutting my sentence off, "Just call me Raoul, we are childhood friends Miss Daaé, and you needn't call me by my title." He said and he kissed the back of my hand 'Don't squeal, Christina! Whatever you do, DON'T SQUEAL!' I shouted inside my head, if anything, I had to keep cool under these conditions. He released my hand and simply waved and walked off.

I let out a large breath and still I couldn't work out one thing, where was my Phantom, and who is he…? I thought about it logically, if I had met Hadley, Daisy and Barry, who were all on the 25th anniversary production, surely the Phantom had to be…Ramin Karimloo. There was only one way to find out, I had to sing after Guidacelli storms off and wait in my dressing room. But for the mean time, I just had to rehearse Hannibal and wait for my Phantom to distress Carlotta.

"You are all a disgrace to the fine arts, girls! How you all manage to get put into the productions I do not know! Meg Giry! Concentrate, girl!" Madame Giry shouted to the small ballet girls, not giving her daughter any special treatment. "Sorry, mama, I'm just wondering where Christine is, that's all" the timidly petite daughter replied back, not wanting to anger her mother anymore than she already was. "You needn't worry about Christine, Meg, you perfect your routine, while I go look for Christine." She replied and waltzed off from the rehearsal area to go find the confused Soprano.

It wasn't hard to find her; she was still there, looking at the entrance the Populaire, "Christine Daaé. Where have you been?" She said, quite abruptly.

―This startled me, obviously and I spun myself around, "I'm sorry, Madame Giry, It's just that Raoul was here and - " "You will address him only as Vicomte, Miss Daaé. I would have thought you knew that. Now go, you have to practice for today's rehearsal of Hannibal. Run along." She said and I walked off to rehearsals. I heard a voice in my head as I walked back, ghostly…eerily…Just like in the production…

"That's right, Christine… You have to be...Perfect for my production," The voice said, it sent shivers down my spine, although I couldn't figure out whom it was speaking to me. Who was it? I needed to know.

By the time I got back to where the girls were rehearsing, who ever spoke to me before had long gone away as he hadn't contacted me since. Carlotta and Piangi were now starting their rehearsals and the dancers were doing the small background dances, trying to stay out of the Prima Donnas way.

Piangi finished singing his part of the duet and it immediately went on to Carlotta's attempt (If you could call it that) of Think of Me. Seriously, why would she be given the lead role if we cannot even understand what she is saying?

Come on, Phantom…Drop that sandbag already…I need to know who you are! I said to myself, I was so deep in my thoughts in fact that I didn't notice it had already dropped and I found my self get pulled aside with many other chorus girls screaming and confessing that 'The Phantom of the Opera was there'. I could have sworn I heard a slight laugh from somewhere…but from where?

"La Carlotta! La Carlotta, please! Senorita, please" Firmin and André tried to calm down the prima donna who was exclaiming that "I won't continue to work here is these…if these THINGS keep'a happening!" she fought her way past the worried managers and stormed out of the opera house. Piangi followed on shortly after.

"Oh, this is just perfect! No male lead, No female lead, nothing! Now who's going to sing! Who is the understudy here?! Full house and our first day, we will have to cancel!"

"Wait, Monsieur! Christine Daaé can sing. And she knows the song well, very well indeed, monsieur!"Meg ushered me forwards, I didn't sing! I couldn't sing! Not as well as Sierra! But this wasn't my world...Maybe I could sing as well as her…

"Hmm. It's a long shot. But we shall see how she sings…If she victors, she shall sing, if not, we will HAVE to cancel!" André and Firmin both moved away and led me centre stage, the music began and I gave it a shot.

"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye, remember me once in a while, please promise me, you'll try" I quietly stammered out, I sounded exactly like her. Perfect!

I made myself sing louder, I had Sierra Boggess'voice, who wouldn't want to use it? "Then you'll find that once again you long, To take your heart back and be free, If you'll ever find a moment, Spare a thought for me, We never said our love was evergreen, Or as unchanging as the sea, But if you can still remember, Stop and think of me" Everyone was looking at me now, they would never have thought that a chorus girl could sing like this!

I was just about to sing the last bar to the piece and Carlotta stormed back in. God damn it, Carlotta! Couldn't you have stormed in later?!

"What is this little Toad doing singing MY performance piece?!" She chirped and pushed me aside. It was a pretty hard shove so I fell right to the floor. I got helped back up by the stage hands and I think I heard Meg whisper in my ear to "Go back to my room and not argue with the Prima Donna" I did so. Even if I didn't do the full song, my Phantom would have heard me. I do hope he heard.

I hummed a song from the production I was watching before I slept that night. It was The Angel of Music. I attracted someone special, though.

"Angel…My angel…" I heard that ghostly voice from earlier again, I gasped and looked around my room, I couldn't see anybody, "You sung well…" The voice continued and I could only manage a slight smile and nod in return; all hopes of me speaking had flown out of the window. "Tell me…Would you have liked to have performed tonight?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and managed to reply to him, "Yes, I would have loved to have performed tonight. If Carlotta hadn't interrupted I would still be -" he cut me off in the middle of my sentence, "Angel…You so dearly love performing…I know because I see you do so everyday… I see you sing, I see you dance, and I see you act. I watch you do these every day. But I'd like to see it with a better view…Christine…Angel…Come towards the mirror…Come towards the mirror and sing to me…Anything you like, continue with what you were singing if you'd like to."

I obeyed him, this is it, I'd sing in front of the mirror and then he will come down and take me with him, Raoul wouldn't be able to know. If only I could stay there. I walked to the mirror and opened my mouth to sing, but he stopped me from beginning, "In fact… I want to see you sing, not just hear you. Turn away from the mirror…Please."

I turned away and slipped on my dressing gown, for some reason it got awfully cold quite quickly, as if a strange presence entered the room. I heard something click slightly, like a key turning in a lock or a door latching closed. I felt something touch my shoulder, and I spun around, but nobody was there. I then felt two large hands (which seemed as though leather was all around them),take both hands that were around my tiny body, keeping me warm, the dressing gown wasn't as thick as I thought it was and they embraced me, I tried to turn around but the embrace was too tight. All I could manage to do was look up, and see a slight view of a mask. I realised who it was and I gasped again, I lost all breath I had in me and slumped further into his embrace, but falling to the ground as my knees had given way from underneath me. He picked me up as I fell, holding me close as if he didn't want to let me go. I had my hands in my lap and I was trembling, he had a good hold, but it did indeed scare me. I didn't think it would happen like this…

I slipped into a small light sleep as I got carried away, the gentle rocking as he turned corners gently helping me drift off. He finally stopped walking and placed me on something well-cushioned and covered me with what felt like velvet. I heard piano keys being lightly pressed, as though trying not to wake me. It was as if he had planned it all along. I stirred in my sleep and immediately heard him stop playing and heard light footsteps walking over to where I was laying. His hands were no longer gloved, as he held them out to me to help me up. I was laid in a Gondola boat. That was odd… I didn't remember getting in a boat… I must have been in a deeper sleep than I thought I was.

"My angel…" He said to me, before looking at me in perfect view. I could see which Phantom it was. I could see his tattoo where his shirt sleeve had moved up as he helped me out. It was Ramin Karimloo. I remember seeing when I watched it that his tattoo stood out during the last note at the end of the Music of the Night.

"P-phantom…What am I doing here?" I asked him, although I loved being down in the works of the opera house, I wanted to stay up in the top of the opera house.

"Why, angel, I bought you here…to sing for me. I trust you know that you are still trying to hit that high note, don't you?" He said to me, each word rolling off his tongue, walking away from me as he did.

"I...I have been, Phantom"

"Very well then, follow me…" I followed him over to the Piano that he had set up. It was beautifully set, candles on the top, composing sheets on the rest. I didn't need a specific tune to sing to, so I just waited for him to give me the signal to sing for him.

I had never sung it in my world, so I did not know how I'd be able to sing it in a different one. But somehow I did manage to do it. I saw his face light up as every bar I went up, my singing got better, more projected-more loved by I sung the last bar I could, he stood up and began to walk around me. I couldn't sing any longer and I stopped, holding my throat, it hurt so much after singing so high.

I fell faint from me recovering so quickly but was quickly embraced around my shoulders by him to stop me falling. He took my hands in his, interlocking his fingers with mine and swayed from side to side. I felt the edge of his mask brush against my face, I let out a slight sigh, how I wanted to take off his mask so much, but I couldn't do that, it would ruin everything. He was definitely the romantic alright, with all these romantic gestures.

"Why, you sing better than I thought you did when I heard you sing in your dressing room, angel." He said to me, still swaying from side to side.

"T-thank you…" I managed to say before closing my eyes, this was becoming quite soothing and almost like a lullaby.

"And you are more beautiful, and more charismatic in person." He added, Damn, He knew how to compliment alright. I blushed fiercely and even he could tell, as he laughed slightly. He released my hands and picked me up, taking me back over to the boat, it was getting late and I needed to sleep. I must have drifted off fairly quickly, because I woke up back in my dressing room, and I saw something on my dresser. I stood up to go see what it was, I gasped. There on my dressing room table there was a white half-cut mask…


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Google translate for french will be needed. Third person and first person description  
> " ' " - First Person  
> " - " - Third Person

It was back to normal order the next day, I'd rehearse dancing, Carlotta would be squealing-I mean singing and we'd perform the show on the night. It was like clockwork, really. What still wound around my mind bugged me, why did he leave his mask? Did he know something I didn't? I had to go back. Madame Giry came over to me as I walked to rehearsals, a fierce look on her face, "Christine, Where were you at yesterdays show?" she asked me. Oh no! What do I say!? Think Christina, Think! "Uh…Well I must have over slept and I wasn't woke, I am so sorry, Madame Giry." I replied back to her, trying to keep my face straight, if I smiled, she will have known that I was lying. "Very well, my girl, but don't miss tomorrow night's performance. If you do, I won't be pleased; you are a dancer, not Sleeping Beauty." And she walked off. I decided not to anger her further so I went and rehearsed, all the other chorus girls giving me stares as I walked in.

"There's Christine, I heard the reason she didn't come was because she was captured by the Phantom!" I heard them all say and all the girls gasped around them, "Really? Is it true? Did he really take Christine?" They all said again, I had to try to keep my breathing steady and my blushing down to a minimum. "Yes he did! I heard that she was sleeping in her room and he took her! I say he has such a light touch, you don't even know it's happening!" and all the girls gasped again. I think I heard one of them say something like "No wonder she got chosen, they say that the Phantom only takes girls who are brilliant performers. Like Christine." I couldn't believe it, so many compliments! I didn't want to leave, I enjoyed being there, even if it meant being stuck in the early 1900's for the rest of my life. I carried on doing my ballet rehearsals, acting natural, that's what any other girl would do, right? I soon had lots of girls surrounding me, asking questions about the Phantom, what he looked like, how he sounded, what he said to me. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never got taken by the Phantom. He doesn't exist. I was still in my room when I woke up this morning. You have crazy minds, that Joseph Buquet really twisted your minds didn't he?" I said to them all, they all hushed quite quickly and went back to rehearsing.

Rehearsals went on for another 3 hours, and then we were dismissed, the first thing I did, was go back to my room. I checked everything in the room, everything was still there, nothing had gone, and the Mask was still there, too. What if he wanted me to keep the mask? Surely he wouldn't let me… I thought to myself. I went into my closet and pulled out some night wear, I walked over to the small area that was blacked out to get changed in to my nightwear. I wasn't performing until tomorrow so I didn't need to wear my dancers outfit. I emerged back from the small changing area and sat down at my dresser and took my hair brush out to tidy my hair before I went to sleep that night. I decided that I should go and get something to eat and drink, if I was to sing again and because I was hungry. I came back with a small tray with a variety of cheeses and a few crackers. I also had a small glass of water which I drank after eating the cheese and crackers. I left my plate and glass outside my door; it was highly likely that the cleaners would take it for me. I took my dressing gown off and hung it on the back of my door – I then pulled back the covers and slid into my bed. The bed must have been more comfortable than my original bed back home, it was soft, and the duvet was heavy, so it made me quite warm quite quickly. I was just about to drift off to sleep when I heard something click lightly, I thought it was nothing; maybe the cleaners making sure my door was locked so they were probably turning the key in the lock so I just carried on trying to sleep. I was asleep in no time at all.

\- As Christine slept someone wanted to make a surprise visit to her. The visitor walked carefully through the mirror and tried not to make any sound as he did. He had no mask on, as he had given his only one to her. He stood over her bed, watching her sleep, she looked so peaceful. He took off his hat which was covering the disfigured side of his face, and set it down on the dresser, still not making any sound. He walked back over to the bed, and smiled, she was a very heavy sleeper. He sat down on the bottom of the bed and whispered, "Mon ange" it was quite quietly said, but she still turned in her sleep, he looked up and looked in the direction of the beautiful sleeping angel and saw that she still slept, he got up from off the bed and kissed the exposed section of her forehead lightly, her eyes fluttering open as he pulled back.

`I felt something brush again my forehead and I opened my eyes, still half asleep, it was hard to see as it was so dark so I reached over for a candle and a match, I struck the match and lit the candle and held it in front of me, the lighting was no better. But suddenly the room became brighter and I had squinted my eyes at the sudden lighting change. When my eyes finally focused on the light change and I saw who it was in my room, I gasped slightly and sat right up, pushing the covers off me and trying to keep calm. That was until I fell off the other side of the bed and hit the floor with a loud Crash! Wait to keep it cool, Christina, I cursed silently in my head. I moaned as I hit the floor, rubbing my back and the side of my head where I had hit it as I fell to the floor. A light breeze of wind hit my feet as I heard the Phantom rush quickly over to where I fell. He knelt down and offered me his hand to help me up, which I took out of gratitude and he pulled me up, pulling me close and giving me a slight hug. After he let me go he checked me over, making sure I had no bruises or anything, and gave me a sly smile. (The Phangirl in my head was squealing and drowning in the feels but the real Christina was keeping calm as ever, I mean, Ramin has the sexiest smile ever).

"Mon ange, comment allez-vous? Vous ne vous êtes pas fait mal quand tu es tombé Et vous?" he spoke to me in French, I smiled and looked up at him, shocked that he wasn't wearing his mask. He tried to turn away from me, but I stopped him doing so and reached my hand up to his face, holding his disfigured cheek lightly. "Vous êtes belle, pourquoi te caches-tu là, Pantoum?" I whispered, pulling my hand back down towards my side again. He touched his face where I held it and looked away, taking my hand and walking towards the mirror, not saying a word to me.

As I had nothing on my feet, he carried me almost bridal style down the long winding passageway; I didn't take my eyes off him the whole way there. He set me down on the floor and sat down in front of me, he pulled up the hood that was attached to the back of his cloak, and covered his face, but I leant forward and pulled it back down, I didn't want him hiding from me. He put his hand over his face and looked away from me; it was obvious; he hated people seeing him like this. "C'est le vrai vous, le vrai vous est belle, et on n'a pas besoin cacher leur beauté" I moved closer to him, and took his hand from his face, lightly brushing his cheek. He pulled me into his lap and cradled me like a baby, holding me close, I felt myself drift back to sleep in his embrace, his body warm and comfortable.

When I awoke the next morning, I wasn't back in my bed like I was the day before, but I woke up in a fabulous room full of many candles and a four poster bed. It looked hand carved, and the sheets I slept in smelt divine. I turned onto my side to hear the light taps of Piano keys being played. I was here…All night? I slipped out of the covers, and tried to step silently, but I wasn't that quiet, as I heard him stop playing and he was in the doorway as I turned around, frightening me softly, "So, my angel has awoken from her slumber." He said whilst walking over to me and smiling, he had a mask on today; he must have retrieved it from my room while I slept. "How long have I been here for?" I asked him as he stood in front of me. He wasn't wearing his black blazer, his shirt that bit too tight, muscles filling it out slightly, "You've been here since early last night, you were too peaceful for me to disturb you and take you back to your room, so I kept you here." He held his hand out to me and I took it, "You can either stay here a while longer or return back to the surface of the Opera House, it's completely your choice, dear." I wondered, I had the big performance tonight, but I also did have the chance to stay longer. "Would I be able to return after the performance tonight?" I asked him, clasping my other hand over his which was holding mine. "You are free to return any time you like, or I can send a note to your managers saying you will not perform, whatever you choose, is what you shall do."

I walked over to the bed and leant against the posters. "Phantom…I have to tell you something…something important." I said to him and gestured him to come over to me, he had an odd look on his face, "Go on…" He said, sitting down on the bed, I sat down next to him and explained everything, "I'm not Christine… I am no soprano, I don't know how I got here but I am not your angel. I am Christina, a normal 16-year-old girl from the 21st century. I fell asleep one night listening to a song and the next thing I know I'm here, in the famous Paris Opera House." He laughed, as if he did not believe me, "Why, that's impossible, you sing just like an angel…my angel. And you look just like Christine. I'm sorry, but I can't believe you." He laughed again, "Now, what do you mean, you fell asleep listening to a song?" "It's a long story but I will cut it short, I love hearing you sing, so I found all your albums and I listen to them before I sleep and this time it ended up me travelling back in time." He shook his head, unable to say anything, "I can't believe such tales, Christine, the only way I will know if anything you have said is true is by me, well, singing to you, when I sing, I set girls in a trance. Come, follow me…" and he stood up; I followed him out of the room and into the main area, he gestured me to sit on a black regal chair and he began to play the piano again before starting to sing.

"Night-time sharpens,  
heightens each sensation  
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination  
silently the senses abandon their defences ..." He was singing the music of the night. I stared in awe, every note was wonderfully played, just like in the soundtrack, and his voice made the song more heavenly than what it was.

"Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour  
Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender  
Turn your face away, from the garish light of day,  
turn your thoughts away, from cold, unfeeling light -  
and listen to the music of the night ..." He didn't play the piano anymore, as he knew the tune so well, and he turned around to face me, I hadn't known until he pulled my up from the seat and sung at me, "Close your eyes and surrender to your  
darkest dreams!  
Purge your thoughts of the life  
you knew before!  
Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar!  
And you'll live as you've never lived before..." I couldn't help but stare into the brown orbs, so full of emotion, emotion for Christine…

My eyes followed him walking away, he was right; his singing does put girls into a trance.

"Softly, deftly, music shall surround you ...  
Feel it, hear it, closing in around you ...  
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,  
in this darkness which you know you cannot fight -  
the darkness of the music of the night ..." it was as if he were telling me a story, it was so wonderful.

I walked towards him, as he still sung, I was following that voice…That oh so heavenly voice…

"Let your mind start a journey  
through a strange new world!  
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!  
Let your soul take you where you long to be!" I couldn't help but stand in my tracks as he hit that note, I knew what was going to happen next… He walked over to me, his volume lower, but still able to be heard, "Only then…can you belong to me…" He had wrapped his arm through my neck, and I fell into the crook of his arm, him supporting me whilst holding my hand and swaying, I closed my eyes and he continued, it was a good feeling to know you were safe in someone's arms, "Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!  
Touch me, trust me savour each sensation!" I so badly wanted to take off his mask, I knew that the music of the night came from his beauty, but he stopped me before I had the chance to and moved away, my hand still up above me, he took my hand and I walked with him, he walked back as I walked forwards  
"Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in  
to the power of the music that I write - the power of the music of the night…" He held me just before I fell to the ground and carried me again, placing my down back into the boat, covering me yet again with that cloak, I was about to go back into a sleep yet again, but was stopped by him singing one last line to me, before patting my hair and walking away. "You alone can make my song take flight - help me make the music of the night . . ."

The next thing I knew I was still in the boat, I hadn't moved, I heard 6 long chimes from up the top of the opera house, "The performance!" I shouted, and I jumped out the boat to go and find him, "Phantom! Phantom! I need to go back!" I said to him, only to be walked over to and kissed lightly on the forehead, "Mon amour… I have told your managers that you will not be performing for some time, so you needn't threat, you shall be staying here until Il Muto is ready to be rehearsed." And he walked out, leaving me on my own.

So… No performing for 6 weeks? I can live with that… I just need to do what every Phangirl dreams of doing, confessing their love to the Phantom of the Opera…


	4. Chapter 4

Seeing as I didn't have to leave for six weeks, I decided to do the one thing I'd been trying to do since I arrived in the lair. I hadn't wanted to sleep, I didn't want to, if I woke up and I was in my dressing room again, I'd have to get back down there again. I made sure to keep a watchful eye on my Phantom; I wanted to see all that he does when he's not watching rehearsals and Christine. I think I may have given myself away after being so silent to sneezing ever so quietly. He had such good hearing skills! Man, he's a genius. "What are you doing, Christine?" his voice boomed through the lair, I hadn't a clue where he was, as if he actually was a ghost. I jumped at this; his voice was so projected, so…so perfect. "Uhm…Uh…N-nothing!" I stammered, and I heard him laugh again, "Christine, tell me the truth…" he said, sighing before and after he spoke. I heard light footsteps from somewhere, and I walked out of the room to go and find him, I wanted to ask him something…something deadly important. It wasn't until I had looked around all the lair I couldn't find him, I decided to give up and walked back into my room.

And there he was. Sat, right there, on my bed. I jumped when I saw him, "How did you…?" I began to ask and he laughed again, "Didn't you know? I designed it all myself, I put every secret passageway in this Opera House" I just stared at him, He could sing, put women in a trance, and build something as extraordinary as this? I gotta give you props, man!

I was still stood there dumbfounded that I didn't notice he had left the room and came back with a tray of food. It must have been the first thing I had eaten for 2 days, yet I hadn't even known. He took my hand and took me to the table which was in the room and sat me down on a chair. He left me to eat some food and then came back and took the tray away. He returned to the room a few moments later, and just as I was about to get up he simply shook his head and gestured me to sit back down. I had no idea why, though. He stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders, and I placed my hand on his slightly larger one, I tilted my head and saw he had his mask on, yet again, and I gestured for him to come down to my level, I slowly took the mask off him again, and he shot straight back up straight and tried to walk away, but I stopped him by grabbing hold of his hand.

I stood and walked to where he stopped and looked at him, he tried to hide himself from me, "Why are you trying to hide yourself, Phantom?" I asked him, squeezing his hand lightly, he just shook his head and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out, "You don't have you hide yourself from me, I…I don't care what you look like." I said to him, and I hugged him tightly, I eventually felt his arms tighten around me, taking my offer of the hug. He took himself away from me and smiled, (He SMILED.) "You look a lot more beautiful when you smile you know." I said to him and walked away smiling myself.

He watched me walk out the room and into a different area of the lair. He followed me after a few minutes and stood there watching me look through everything in the room, I walked back through to the main room with the Piano in it; I sat down on the bench and tried to read the music off the composition sheets, but with no luck. Instead I just pressed a few keys on the piano; they sounded very harmonious and I added a few contrasting notes to the mix, he walked in, his face lit up when he saw me playing. He walked over and sat down beside me, he took in the few chords I was playing and played some of his own in a higher range. It created a beautiful piece, actually. Sometimes he would scratch the chords on to the composition sheet, and carry on playing and other times he'd just stare at me as I played, going up and down the scales.

We finally stopped playing and he just sat and stared at the once plain composition sheet which was now covered in various chords. "I knew you could sing, but, I never dreamt you could play. Especially like this!" I just smiled, "I told you, I'm not Christine. Christina, the Real me, can play any instrument" I replied to him. "Well, you are very gifted…" he hesitated, "Christina." The first time he had ever said my first name…It felt good to hear him finally say it. "Would you mind if I knew what your name was?" I asked him. He sat silent for a few moments, before quietly saying "Erik." I looked up, "That's a beautiful name, Erik. It suits you." I stood and walked away from the piano, "Might I ask, what Erik means?" I said and turned to face him. "My name, I am not entirely sure what it means, if I am truthfully honest to you. I was never told. My…My parents never told me." He said, scowling at the word parents. "Erik…? Did your…did your parents…love you?" I asked, walking back over to him, he had stood and stepped away from the piano, "Love? Why would they love a creäture like this? I'm a monster, a lonely, faded, disfigured monster. Why would anyone in their right mind love me?"he said, clenching his fists.

"You're not a monster, Erik. You are a beautiful…Talented man. You deserve everything. You deserve love; you deserve the right to happiness. Anything you could ever want, you deserve it dearly." I stopped in front of him and reached to his face, "And your mask, your mask does nothing but hide who you really are; the Erik I know is lovely, he's wonderful to talk to and downright caring for anyone but himself. Just like 2 nights ago, you helped me; you made sure I was perfectly fine, any other person would leave me, but not you, Erik, not you." I saw his face turn from bitter sourness to pure sweetness with everything I said. "And what makes it better, is knowing that someone very, very close to you, loves you." He looked dumbstruck, "Who…who loves me?" he said. I stood up on the tips of my toes and whispered, "Me" before kissing him gently, he never accepted straight away, but when he did, he held me close, "Really?" I just nodded and cradled my head in his chest, closing my eyes and smiling.

I woke up the next day feeling proud of myself. I had finally confessed to it. He and I were no longer uncomfortable with each other, and that's all that really mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

Now that I had gotten around to telling Erik how I really felt, we seemed to talk a lot more. We dined together more often, I no longer got separated from him during the day, and he didn't seem uneasy of my presence, almost like he enjoyed having me there, as I was the only who actually loved him. That's another thing, he never wore his mask around me anymore; he had gotten used to me seeing him without his mask on, so he never wore it.

He composed music a lot more. I loved hearing him play, sometimes he would even sing some parts of his musical compositions and he didn't even know about it.

~Flashback~

Erik was singing again. I silently chuckled into my book at the sound of him doing so. He got so intrigued that he never knew what he was doing; it was so cute, made me want to harmonize with him. I quietly hummed the tune he was singing and added a few words; soon it was creating a beautiful piece, and he stopped playing and singing, leaving just me singing…

~Regular POV

"Hey, Erik, Do you remember our harmonizing sessions?" I asked him, looking at him, hoping we could do another one together. "I do…They were quite fun." He replied, looking back at me. He walked out of the room and I followed him, he stopped to turn around, saw me and waited for me to catch up. I linked my arm into his and walked off with him. I didn't know where we were going; it was somewhere I wasn't aware of, but then again I had only ever gone into the music room, and mine and Erik's room. Where ever we were going we had to use the gondola boat again, so Erik lifted me into it, so I decided to lie down and fell asleep with the gentle sways. (Damn, what is up with me and falling asleep with gentle sways?)

I wasn't woken by Erik, so I must have slept for a good hour before I woke up in a bed with a note on the side, "Christina, I've gone to deal with something, I will be back soon –Erik" Where could he have gone this time? I was far too tired so I decided to sleep again, I hadn't been getting as much sleep as I would have liked to have gotten. I must have slept for a while, because when I woke up Erik was sleeping on top of the covers beside me, still in his suit, he must have been very tired, bless him. I gently tapped him on his shoulder and woke him up, and then put the covers over him again and fell back to sleep. He must have liked what I did… He wrapped his arm around me and slept like it until he woke up the next day.

"Christina…Christina…" He called out to me; I sat up and stretched, and saw him holding a small box. Oh, wait, WHAT IS THAT. AM I DREAMING!? I stared at the box and he saw me staring himself, "Oh, No, no, this isn't a…" He laughed, "Did you mistake it for a…" he laughed again and sat next to me, "You are quick at firing the gun, I don't know you…well, that great to ask you something as extreme as that." He clicked open the box and picked up its contents. It was a diamond encrusted necklace; it had very detailed additions, including tiny flesh coloured pearls hanging off the end of each link. It sparkled in any which way direction and looked like it cost a million pounds. I gasped at it, "Oh, Erik. It's beautiful!" I leaned over and hugged him tightly, "How did you get this? It must have cost a fortune!" I let go of him and looked at him, waiting for his answer, "It didn't cost that much, only 300 francs." My eyes were so wide, it was a wonder they weren't popping out of my eye sockets, "Not that much? That's a lot of money, especially to buy it for me!" "Well, I thought it would look beautiful on you, and I wanted to see if you liked it, which by judging your reaction, you do." He stood up and held out his hand and helped me up, and we walked over to a room with a large mirror in, I held up my hair and he put it on me, his face brightening up. "It looks wonderful on you, Christine." "Erm…It's C-Christina…But, its fine" I said, and I felt every diamond, each one perfect, "No, no, I truly feel, sorry, I called you by a name you don't called by, and for that, I am definitely sorry." And he bowed down slightly to me, "Well, I didn't mind, it was a mistake. But, I really do love this necklace, thank you, Erik" I said, and kissed him out of gratitude, How many kisses was that? Like the 20th one? I'd lost count.

I walked over to the larger room which lead from the kitchen, it looked like a study of sorts; it had books on a large bookshelf, stacks of old news clippings and writing equipment. I found one book in particular …intriguing. It was a large, old leather book that had a heavy weight to it, it had a lock on, and so I could only open it if I had a key, but I managed to find it eventually. I walked over to the large table and silently placed it down on the table and opened up the book. 'Erik Destler – Memories' it read. I shouldn't really be looking through this; it's too…Personal… I thought and closed it back up, and was about to walk over to the shelf when I heard him walk back through the door, "What were you doing...?" he asked, with a stern tone in his voice, "Uhm…Uh…N-nothing" "Don't lie to me, I saw that you had a book out, why did you have the book out, Christina?" "I-I just wanted to see what it was! I'm…I'm so sorry. I closed it as soon as I saw it was a memory book, I saw nothing, I promise!" "You still shouldn't have looked through it in the first place! You have NO right in looking around MY personal belongings!" he shouted at me, I sat down into a chair and held my head in my hands, wanting to cry.

"Christina…Christina…I…I'm sorry… I…I just get angry when people look through my stuff without asking…" he apologetically said, and walked over to me, "No…You are right, I shouldn't have looked, and it's my fault…You shouldn't be sorry, if anything, I am…" I took my head out of my hands and smiled, "I am so sorry, Erik. I won't look at anything else anymore." I said and walked out of the room. "Christina?" I turned around and saw him holding the book, "You can look at it… I just…I just didn't want you to look at it without telling me. So, here, look through it." He said, and gave me the book and its key.

I took the book from his hands and walked over to another table; I set it down again and unlocked it, being delicate as I opened the book. The first few pictures were in very grainy sepia and black and white and folded, meaning the image was unclear to see what it was. By the looks of it, though, it was Erik's baby pictures. He had no disfigurement then; at least, not as bad a disfigurement as he had now. I flicked through a few more pages and saw some older pictures of him; he must have been in his late teens, as he had broader shoulders, a more defined face and I saw he had a tiny lump on the side of his face. It started so soon… I flicked to the next page and the next page and the next…Each photo was getting worse. And then suddenly, all of his older pictures stopped, and there were none there.

I slammed the book shut and locked it. I ran out of the room, abandoning the book in the room – I never wanted to see the book again, colliding into Erik as I ran, not able to see where I was going as tears had clouded my vision partly. "Christina? Christina what's wrong? Come on; shush…What's the matter?" he said trying to calm me down, but the tears were already flowing down my face and I was making horrible loud sobbing noises. He held me close, "Tell me…Tell me what has happened, please."

"I…I didn't know…I didn't know how …how you were!" I stifled out between sobs, "What do you mean? How I was?" "I saw your book, your book had all your young photos, you were…you were not like this! You didn't have the face that your parents or the people of the town would call 'The face of the devil'! You had a perfect face!" I said, pulling myself away and wiping away my tears. "Now, Christina, I still do have a perfect face, as you said so yourself, a few minorities never made me change who I was." He smiled at me and looked in my eyes, "I don't like to see you when you cry. It makes me upset. Now, stop crying, please." I wiped my eyes again and smiled, feeling like a fool for crying like that, but also realising that he is dealing with the fact that he's not that different from others. "There we go, you happy now?" he said, and I nodded.

Suddenly the bells started ringing, 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9….10 chimes. It was 10pm and I had gotten a bit sleepy, "Would you like to sleep now, Christina?" I nodded sleepily again and he picked me up, I began to drift off to sleep slightly as he carried me, I was half awake and half asleep as he placed me under the covers and covered me with them. "Goodnight, Christina" he said, and kissed my cheek, "Mhmm...Goodnight…Erik." I said and drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Il Muto, the script, It arrived, it's finished. I was sent back up from the bottom of the opera house with the script in my hand. "Monsieur Firmin," I called out, immediately getting the attention of the distressed Opera Manager.

"Ah, Miss Daaé, your back, it's so nice to see you again!" He looked immediately at the book in my hand, "And what might that be, Miss Daaé?"

I held up the book and unravelled the bow keeping it secure, "This, Monsieur, is our new theatre production, and he wants us to do it exactly as he has written. He has written you a note on how he wants the casting to be dealt with; he says 'There will be war between the both of you if you don't obey to his rules'. I suggest you take charge and obey him, Monsieur." I said and walked off giggling, he had to, and after all, he didn't want to get 'Monsieur OG' angry now, would he?

"Christine! At last your back!" Meg exclaimed when she saw me, running over to me and practically making me fall over after giving me a huge hug.

"Yes, Meg, I'm back." I replied back to her and grabbed her hand and ran to my dressing room and locked the door, "Meg, I need you to know something, something very, VERY important, and you can't tell anybody. Ok?"

"What is it Christine?"

"Well, I am not Christine. I'm Christina, I don't belong here. You see -"

"What do you mean? You're Christine, Silly!"

"No, Meg, I'm not. I am Christina, from the 21st century. I magically appeared here, I don't know how to get back. I was gone for so long, because, well…Because the Phantom kept me."

"Christine, please, you're delirious! Have you eaten something weird?" she chuckled, but I remember seeing her eyes go wide sa I explained that Erik had kept me with him.

"Meg, please. Believe me. I was taken by him after rehearsals a few weeks ago when Carlotta stormed out, and then a few days later he came back for me again, then he made sure I was fine after I tumbled off my bed and hurt myself, and took me back. I didn't want to leave, he is a marvellous man, Meg, he really is, but I need you to trust me on this, I am not fooling you. The Opera Ghost IS real, Meg, I have seen him...even the more, profounded, 'Hideous' side of him. And I for one know that he loves the real Christine, and I think he loves me too. I'm not too sure. But you can't tell anybody. Okay?" I said to her, seeing her face change as I said it all.

"Okay, 'Christina', whatever you say. Now, I bet everyone wants to rehearse this new play, huh?" She smiled.

"I am too…But only because of the casting, I guess." I said, a small grin creeping on my face, I had made sure he wrote the cast the way we ALL wanted it; Carlotta silent.

"Come on, then, Christine, let's go rehearse!" She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and running out of the dressing room.

~After Il Muto Rehearsals~

"Wonderful job, ladies and gentlemen, that was an excellent first rehearsal! Dancing girls, you did absolutely amazing as always. Ok, ladies and gentlemen, you are free to go; next rehearsal is tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen! Don't miss it! Don't forget, we perform Il Muto in exactly SIX weeks!" the director called to us as we all left the stage area after rehearsals that day.

"Ah, Christine, the Vicomte de Chagny would like to see you, he is waiting in the foyer."Firmin called to me as I left the stage.

"Thank you, Monsieur, I will see to him now." I said; I had gotten used to hearing all these words and phrases now, and getting used to the fact that I was with Ramin for the better part of 6 weeks. And the fact that I have also been getting used to the fact that Hadley would want me every day after rehearsals.

"Why, good day, Miss Daaé, long time no see, as they say. How have you been?" Raoul said as he walked over to me, smiling like I was some long lost friend of his.

"Well Raoul, indeed it has. I have been perfectly fine, thank you." I replied smiling.

"And also, Miss Daaé, it seems you have landed the Page-boy in Il Muto… The Page-boy is silent, is it not?"

"Well, I guess it is…" That's not how we wrote it. I thought. Didn't they remember the threat? Don't they know what will happen?! No… of course not. They don't know anything that would happen. A fierce scowl crept upon my face.

"Christine? Why do you have such a look on your face?" He questioned me; I just shook the look off my face and smiled.

"Oh! Nothing, I was just thinking about the stupid stagehand Buquet and his stupid tales of which he said are 'all true and have happened'. I highly doubt that the chandelier can fall from such a suspended height…"

"Christine, you're talking nonsense, now, I'm taking you back to your room where you can have a nice long rest. Come on…" He said to me, and took my hand and walked me back to my room. No…No, no. Raoul, Hadley, whoever the heck you are, but I don't want to. I mean…I want to go back…But on my own, okay?!

We arrived back a few moments later, and Raoul walked me in and sat down on the chair by the dresser. He gave me a half goofy smile which I returned with a stranger look. "Raoul…Can you, well, leave now please? It was you yourself who said I should get some sleep, and that is what I want, and I would find it better if I slept in privacy…" I said to him, gesturing towards the door.

He saw my not-so-subtle hint and stood up, "Well, if that's what you want, then fine. Goodbye, Christine." He said, gave me a slight hug and walked out; I turned around and waited until the door had been closed before turning around, giving a large sigh and falling flat onto the bed.

"Don't worry, Christine. They will be sure to cast you as the role of the lead. They know not to fight against me…I have my ways." I heard Erik say as his voice lightly filled my room.

I sat up and looked up, "It's too late…We have already begun rehearsals and Carlotta has already been given the lead, there is no changing the fact that she is lead and I won't be. There's no use in trying, really…"

"Now, Christine, don't you stress, you will get the lead, don't worry about it."

"Erik?" I said quite questionably.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Please, don't do anything too drastic… I don't want anyone getting hurt..."

"Don't worry, nobody will get hurt. I promise you that."

"Thank you… Goodnight, Erik." I said and blew out the candle. My room went from being illuminated to darkness so quickly. I could have sworn I heard Erik singing, unless it was my imagination going wild again.

~The next day~

Day two of rehearsals… Day two of Carlotta and Piangi making the opera sound disgraceful. I just want to get this over and done with and just do the opera.

God damn it Piangi, stop messing up, please! It's one simple line! Why can't you just do it right for a change!? Even Carlotta was getting irritated.

"I really hope they clean up their act pretty soon. I am getting tired of these imbecile actors not being able to act. They should know this by now that I stand for no slacking off under any circumstances. Why have they let Madame Guidacelli still be a part of this production? She isn't the star in this here performance!" Erik said, only to me personally, I giggled slightly, knowing who the real star was.

"And what do you think you are laughing at, Miss Daaé?" Carlotta chirped.

"Nothing, Carlotta. I am just recalling something that occurred earlier."

"And what is that, may I ask?"

"It is nothing you need to know about, that's for sure."

Carlotta was about to speak again but the director interrupted her. (Thank goodness!)

"Well then, ladies and gentlemen, clearly we are not cut out to rehearse one simple segment of this opera we will stop rehearsing for today. But please ladies and gentlemen, we have very little time to rehearse this! Please, Piangi, learn your line! That is it for today, you are free to go!"

We all piled out of the room, several people muttering that it was 'a very wasted rehearsal and that Piangi should be replaced.' Finally, something we all agree on…

~One week later~

We finally got time to finish rehearsing Il Muto without Piangi screwing up his lines. (Success, if I do say so myself!) "Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen! We have now completed rehearsals and dress rehearsals for Il Muto! You have done exceptionally well and I am sure that Monsieur Andre and Monsieur Firmin will be pleased with your progress! Don't forget ladies and gentlemen, we perform this new production next week! That is all, ladies and gentlemen, you are free to go!" the director congratulated us as we all paraded off the stage, all dolled up with our makeup and costumes which needed hitching up anywhere we walked.

I still didn't want to be the page-boy, but obviously this was the way it had to go. La Carlotta had to be the leading role, we all knew that, obviously. I had to be the role I was in, and I couldn't change the fact that i was in the role that I was in for a reason.

Several news papers soon arrived in a huge pile at the entrance of the Opera Populaire.

'IL MUTO TO BE PERFORMED NEXT WEEK'

'WILL OG STAY AWAY?'

'GUIDACELLI LEAD, DAAÉ PAGE-BOY'

And those were only some of the headlines; how ludicrous! It's just like them to publish such absurd headlines. Erik wouldn't stay away and we all knew it… Well...apart from them of course… and trust me, I wouldn't be the page-boy for long…but I am sure you all know that.

I walked back to my room and heard the always gruff voice of Joseph Buquet, taunting the dancing girls yet again. This time he had taken a new approach; he hung a rope which kept the scenery suspended over the side of the rafters and screamed a mock scream. The dancing girls, being the wimps they were, ran over to each other and huddled into a corner screaming.

"Buquet, do you really have to taunt and tease the dancers? Don't you think you should be more cautious on your actions? He can be watching from anywhere, you know… and I for one know it." I said to him, walking along the rafters and stopping a few metres from him.

"Oh, really, and how do you know?" he answered, his voice was rough from shouting and possibly drinking a lot.

"You needn't know why, Buquet," I said, waltzing further towards him, not taking my eyes off him, "but I suggest you keep a watchful eye out. You'll never know who will be inside his 'Magical Lasso' next." I finished, walking straight past him and down off of the rafters, feeling pleased that I may have just saved his life. If he doesn't thank me for saving his life, I don't know who will… I thought, just before walking into my room, and seeing a few bunches of roses on the table.

"Christine, Good luck with the performance, the offer to go to dinner afterwards is available, Raoul"

"Angel, you'll do fine, silent or not. I believe you will shine whether you speak, Erik."

Wow. Two guys fighting for my love…I don't get that every day… But I wasn't going to go back to Raoul after the performance. I wanted...I wanted to go home. But I knew it wasn't going to happen. I had to stay where I was for god knows how long.

One thing for sure is that I had to stop what would happen during the performance. I couldn't let Erik destroy the performance. They'd go after him, I just know they would.


	7. Chapter 7

What did I tell you? I knew he'd destroy it! I just knew it. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it I knew it! He can't keep a promise! He promised me, and he broke that promise.

~Flashback~

The performance was going just smoothly, everyone was the way the cast was set by the managers, meaning I was the Silent Role. "And you cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence." Now this was the part of the 'happy story' where Erik would tease Carlotta. But, no, he had to do it differently. I should have been prepared for this; he can change his plans at anytime.

"Box…Box FIVE is not empty…" his voice boomed throughout the theatre, I stood still shocked, unable to move. No…You promised me, Erik! You said you wouldn't do anything tonight!

"Ahem… And you cannot speak, but kiss me, in my husband's absence." I felt Carlotta tug me over to the chaise behind us and pull me down. Was she completely insane?! Did she expect me to continue to perform knowing that it was the wrong choice?!

"I instructed you all, to leave BOX FIVE EMPTY FOR ME! Do you not remember the consequences?!" he shouted again, I had no choice, I stood straight up and ran off the stage, I wasn't going to be kept captive on stage like a criminal! And that's when I saw it.

A corpse; Joseph Buquet's corpse; hanging by a thick rope right in front of me, his eyes still open and his skin turning blue. I screamed, and fell to the floor, my head in my hands. I couldn't believe it was happening. After all he promised, all his words that he said were once true were now like toads spilling off of his tongue. Ugly, horrifying toads that made me realise a huge amount remorse for ever trusting him.

I had soon drawn attention to myself with my screams, my makeup had now ran down my face leaving black streaks where my eye makeup once was and I had been helped up off the floor by Raoul/Hadley and he took back to my room, only to be met by Erik himself.

"Give her to me, now." Was all he said, and held his hand out; what was I? A sack of money that he had been waiting ages for?!

"No, you're not going to take her…you…monster! Christine is staying right here, you are not going to take her anywhere without me."

"STOP! PLEASE! I need to tell you the truth!" I pulled myself from the grip I had been in and turned to face Raoul, "I'm not Christine! Stop calling me that! I am not her! I'm not her I'm not her I'm not her!" I shouted, holding my head in my hands and shaking from left to right, before sitting back into the chair. I immediately found my hands being held by Erik, my tears were still streaming down my face and was took out of the seat was just sat in and felt myself embraced by him. I kept my arms by my side and didn't properly take the hug. When he finally let go of me he took my hand and began walking towards the direction of the mirror, my other hand, however was took by Raoul and was tugged away from his grip like I was some sort of Christmas cracker.

"You're not going with…with THAT! I won't allow it!"

"I think you may find my good monsieur that she doesn't want to go with you…" he said still trying to take me with him.

"Actually, I don't want to go with either of you." I began to say; again pulling away from both grips that I had been took into, "I don't particularly love you, Raoul. You are an old friend reunited and nothing more." I said, turning around to face Raoul, then turned to face Erik, "and you, you broke your promise! You said you wouldn't intrude on this performance! You said that nothing bad would happen! And look what did! You killed a man, Erik; you killed a man out of pure Jealousy because I didn't get put as the lead role! That's low, even for you! Now please, I'd like both of you to leave, right now."

"But, Christine–"

"I told you! I'm not Christine! Now please, just go." I said, looking at both of them through my ever-still watery eyes until they left my room.

"Alright, if that's what you want, then I will…leave." Raoul said, before walking towards the door and leaving the room.

"Me too…" Erik said before going to leave himself, not giving a second look at me.

"Erik, wait for me please," I said, a hushed tone in my voice, running over to the mirror and grabbing his sleeve, and he stopped still in his tracks.

"I thought you wanted me to leave?"

"I did…But I want to come with you…" I said to him, looking up at him and smiling, "You are the only person I truly want to be with, I don't want Raoul, but you. So please, take me with you, take me where ever you go, just don't leave me, please."

He took a firm hold of my hand and stepped down off the ledge in the mirror, helping me down and we walked through the passageway. I heard him laugh briefly, quiet, but I heard him, "What's so funny?" I asked him.

"It seems so odd. It feels like...it feels like I'm not myself, for some odd reason... I don't know if I am myself or not." He replied to me, his face twisting in confusion.

"What makes you think that? There is absolutely no reason why you should feel different about yourself, your still Erik, are you not?"

"I guess I am, I must be working myself too much, I should relax for a while, and take a break from writing music."

"If that is what you want, then you do that." I said, and we carried on walking down the long-winded passageway.

Eventually we ended up where I was happy, and I could finally relax again, knowing I was with Erik. All my worries melted away, I wasn't going to be harassed by Carlotta, bugged by the dancers and more importantly, I'd never see Raoul again. I guess you could say, 'Happy Ever After', but I couldn't call it a Happy ending. Heck, the best I could possibly call it was 'incomplete' because I was still stuck in France. I just need to find a way to get home, and still be with Erik.

And I think I might know just exactly how to do it...


	8. Chapter 8

I knew that I would have to go back at some point, but truth is; I didn't want to leave Erik behind. I didn't want to leave the world of the Phantom of the Opera behind. I wanted to take everything with me, all my memories, new friends, new…lovers, back with me.

Oh, I forgot to say, Erik and I, we are no longer friends…but we are now lovers. Engaged, you heard me right. He asked me over dinner the other night. Maybe that's why I don't want to leave.

I suppose you want me to tell you how it happened, huh? Well, just take a read…

We had sat down to dinner, and I had just started to eat, we were eating a very rich Pot au Feu which is Beef Stew with a few vegetables and we drank Bordeaux wine to go with it. Just as I was about to take a small sip of the wine, he silently pushed his chair away from the table and walked into a different room, and emerged from it a few moments later.

"I have been taking into account what you have said to me, since I have known you, and having spent time with you," he began, standing away from his chair, and walking towards me, "and whilst I have done so, I have thought of bigger things for us. I took a while to think about it at first, but I have finally made a decision." At this point he had pulled a small box out of his blazer pocket, and had walked further towards me, stopping directly in front of me.

He cleared his throat before dropping to one knee, looked at me with pleading eyes and simply said to me, "Christina, I know the circumstances we had together were unwilling at the beginning, but, we have spent many weeks together, so I am asking you to…to…" he trailed off, somewhat hesitant and nervous.

"Yes, I will." I said to him, knowing what he was going to ask. He suddenly looked confused, "What do you mean, yes?"

"I know what you are going to ask me, and my answer is yes" I replied and hugged him tight before letting him go, up on this happening; he opened the small box and placed the ring on my finger.

"Well, it's settled then," he said and helped me out of my chair, despite the fact I had eaten only a morsel and we walked over to the large bedroom. He opened up a large door and pulled out two large cases, and walked back over to me, and handed me one. "We leave France tonight, I will come with you to collect your things, but we shan't say any goodbyes, its best that they don't know." He said and we walked back to my dressing room, where he helped collect all my clothes out of the wardrobe and helped pack them into the case whilst I collected all my other stuff from the room.

When I was certain that I had collected everything, we went back to the lair and he packed his things, and then came back into the main room with both our cases and smiled, "Are you ready?" he asked me, walking over and draping a cloak around me and tying it up so it doesn't fall off.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" I say back to him and I walk over to him and go to take my case, which he promptly refused me doing so, taking both cases and pulled them back.

We left the lair in a different way than I had ever done before. We had gone up some stairs, around a long twisted corridor, up a few more stairs before we emerged from the Opera House on to the streets of Paris. Erik whistled for a carriage and when one stopped, he put our cases in the carriage and helped me in; Erik whispered something to the carriage driver and sat next to me in the carriage shortly after.

We were still on the journey a few hours later, so I yawned, stretched my arms and legs and felt my held fall on to Erik's arm, I was obviously in an awkward place as he shifted a few times and put my legs across his lap and put his arm around me so I was in a more comfortable place for him and me. "Christina…Christina…Wake up, we're here…" he said to me, picking me up and carrying me into the new building.

"W-where are we?" I asked, I knew we were no longer in Paris, that's for sure, it looked like the countryside, plus we travelled a very long way to still be in Paris.

"This is my private home; I stay here when no operas are being performed." He said, and took both my hands into his, interlocking his fingers with mine, "but now, it is our home. We have well and truly past the point of no return - no backward glances are to be made, Christina, we are to only look to the future, for all of our past memories of the Opera Populaire are gone, it's only the two of us that matter now, don't forget that."

He then proceeded to take me on a tour around our home, which looked more like a mansion to me, but myself being the city girl I am, realised that people lived differently back in the 1900's. In the house there were four bedrooms as if they used for workers, each one decorated in the same colour scheme, Mahogany, and to match the mahogany painted walls, there were four-poster beds in each room except for one, which had a larger than normal bed and had a completely different colour scheme. This one room painted in Burnt Umber, and had what looked to contain a king sized bed with a pristine white duvet cover.

There was also 2 bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, which both consisted of a large sparkling white bathtub with solid gold taps, a toilet (as obvious as it seems) and a small sink, again with gold taps.

Upon being shown the kitchen, I could tell that it would be used a lot, just not by ourselves, but by maids and chefs when we requested, but it was still a beautiful room. It had a small log-powered oven which are used to heat water or small necessities such as soups or remedies for when we were ill, and then a very large oven with cooking rings, which are used to heat and cook more complex items, such as meats, vegetables, and potatoes for a very respectable but common lunch.

The lounge was very much the same, it was bound in leather furniture, and had small candelabra placed around the room. It was quite obvious that Erik had built and decorated this himself, it showed himself off with every inch of the house.

"Well? What do you think?" He asked me, after we had gotten a small glass of celebratory wine to celebrate our new life and engagement.

"I love it, thank you, this means a lot to me, I finally have someone I can trust for once in my life," I replied back, taking a small sip of the wine, before realising something, now that we were engaged, I had to be truthful. And truthful I was definitely going to be.

"Erik, I need to tell you something... I want to clear my chest of this, before everything turns horribly wrong." I said, placing my glass on the table and taking Erik's free hand.

"What is it? I'm sure nothing will go wrong, I assure you." He replied squeezing the hand that held his tightly.

"I told you something when we first met, I told you that I wasn't the real Christine, which I know that you have figured out by now, or else we wouldn't be like this today. I also said I somehow managed to travel back in time from the 21st century, which I again, know that you have figured out. But there is one thing that still bugs me, and I am uncertain whether to tell you, because...Because I'm afraid it will jeopardise our love." I said, staring into his eyes and choking on some words as I spoke to him.

"Go on, I told you, nothing will ruin us, I promise." he said, and he put his glass on to the table next to mine, and walked over to the lounge, and sat on one of the sofas.

"Well, here's the deal...I obviously know that I am in the world of the Phantom of the Opera, but there are many of them, and I know all the characters from every one I have seen. I know for sure that I am not in the Movie Version, for there is no Gerard Butler or Emmy Rossum about. I haven't seen any cast members from the John Owen-Jones or Colm Wilkinson productions, so I know that I am in either of those worlds. I am definitely not in the very old worlds as you have spoken to me, and have a much lesser disfigurement as the older worlds do have. But I do know what world I am in... But I don't know how to explain it..."

"Just say it, don't stress your self..."

I sat silent for a few moments before continuing, "On the night before I got sent here, I was watching the 25th Anniversary of the live show since its first performance in 1986, in that cast there were many famous faces and you may or may not know them. I had just finished watching you sing The Music of the Night to Christine, when my mom told me to go to bed as it was quite late, naturally, I agreed and went to sleep, but listened to the album as I couldn't sleep and your voice makes me calm and helps me sleep. I could tell exactly who you were by when I first saw you and when you helped me out of the boat..." I said, and took his right arm and slid his shirt sleeve up revealing one of his many tattoos. His eyes grew wide at the sight of him realising he had a tattoo he never knew about.

"Now, I know, you are wondering why you have tattoos, and I can say why..." I took a deep breath and consoled myself mentally, "You are one of the most adored Phantom's in the 21st century. You are Iranian-Canadian Ramin Karimloo, an Actor, Singer and Songwriter. You have many tattoos, and due to what I may have thought to have been a makeup malfunction, your tattoo was visible when you sung the Music of the Night during the 25th Anniversary. And most importantly, I look up to you in many ways, as an Actor, as a Singer, and believe it or not, as a Father to your two children." I looked up at him again and he stared at me, dumbfound.

"Well, this may be the very reason why I am not feeling like myself...If what you say is true, then, I am honored that you found out who I am." It still looked as if he was taking in all the news still, but I comforted him, "But, if you don't feel the same for me, the way you did just a few moments ago before I spoke all this nonsense, I will be fine, I am used to dissapointment by now, I have suffered lots of it -" he cut me off in the middle of my sentence with a slight kiss.

"I have lost nor gained any more or less feelings for you, you are still that same girl I have known, and I am not going to change anything for it." He said and he kissed me again, but with a little more force than the last one he gave me. I smiled into it, pulled back from the kiss, and quietly whispered, "I love you," before going back into the kiss, and enveloping my arms around him.

He pulled me to his lap and stood up, carrying me bridal style to the very differently decorated room, and placed me on to the bed before kissing me once more, responding with, "I love you, too."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scenes of a badly described sexual nature o wow (i was 15 when i wrote this originally xD)

So that's the story, really. Erik and I are officially an item. I still am wondering whether to call him Erik still or not. I need to make sure he doesn't mind me calling him by his real name. I think it would be pretty awkward if I kept calling him Erik now that he knows what has happened…

I still can't believe we finally left Paris, but I want to go home. I've said it before, I know, but, as much as it pains me to say it, I miss home, and I want to go back.

Erik came up to me a few hours ago and said we were going out to visit the town and do some shopping; just the necessities, food, drinks, that kind of stuff. It was actually going quite well until… Well until we were due to go back home, actually. We had got a lot more stuff than we thought we were going to get, meaning we had a lot more bags to carry home (we had walked to the town, it was a very nice day) and I had offered to carry some with me.

Unfortunately one of the bags I was carrying split through the bottom, and all its content fell out the bag and into the road, I immediately ran out to get what I could before any obstacles came about and began putting them on the pavement, but if I didn't make such a stupid choice as to get the last bottle of Bordeaux wine, nothing would have happened.

"Christina!" I heard him shout as I ran out into to road not looking what was coming as I did so. As I went to retrieve the last bottle, a carriage came around the corner and the driver of the carriage couldn't tame his horse into slowing down, going around me or stopping full stop, resulting it in kicking forward its front legs, catching my head in the process and leaving quite a gash in the side of my head, whinnying in the process, before stopping still and snorting.

It took quite a while for me to realise what had happened, and I began to fall to the ground, dropping whatever I was holding and began to hold the side of my head which had been hit, putting enough pressure on the wound so it didn't bleed too much.

"YOU IDIOT," I heard Erik shout at the driver, "CONTROL YOUR HORSE, MAN!" he exclaimed before running over to me and moving me out of the road and laying me upon the pavement, "Christina… Christina…" he said, taking my free hand and softly kissing the knuckles of it, "It's going to be okay, I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."

"E-Erik, w-what's going on? What happened?" I asked, and moved my hand away from my head, gasping at the bloody sight and tears started to well up in my eyes, "W-why am I b-bleeding?!" I screamed, and the tears started gushing out of my eyes.

"You had an accident…" he began, staring up at the driver who was still sat in his carriage, "What are you doing, man? Why are you just sitting there?! GO AND GET SOME HELP, PLEASE!" he shouted, his voice cracking and his eyes forming tears themselves. "The bags broke, and you went to retrieve everything that fell out, but that…imbecile of a driver couldn't control his horse and it reared up, causing you to get hit in the side of the head, but you'll be okay, I promise you. Nothing will happen." He reassured, placing my hand back on my head and cradling it rocking back and forth as if I was a small child.

After a while, the driver came back with a doctor and he ran over to us, I had stained Erik's shirt with my blood, which obviously showed how much I was actually bleeding.

"Erik? Is that you? What are you doing back in Mont Saint Michel?" the doctor asked, I had not a clue of who he was.

"Daroga, what are you doing here? You're not a doctor now, are you?" he asked the man, still keeping a tight hold of me, despite the mess I had made on his shirt.

"I have always been a doctor; I just never had to use my skills whilst I worked for you, sir." He responded, and crouched down next to me, "What happened, then?" he asked, whilst he opened his bag and took out a stethoscope, a bandage and what looked to be a bottle of medication and gloved his hands.

"The bags broke, and she went to retrieve everything that fell out, but that…imbecile of a driver couldn't control his horse and it reared up, causing her to get hit in the side of the head with its hooves." He repeated to the man who he called Daroga.

"Well, that is very unfortunate," he sat me up straight and propped me up against the wall, "What's your name?" he asked me, though with losing so much blood as I had already, I couldn't even say it myself."Her names Christina…" Erik said, I saw his eyes sadden at how weak I had actually gotten.

"Well then, Christina, you've got into quite a trouble, haven't you…?" he said to me, and began to peel the hair that was stuck to the side of my head away to clean the cut. I winced when he started to clean the cut and was quite surprised at how big the wound actually was; it could not have been any bigger than what must have been a 20 pence piece.

"Nearly finished…" He said and wrapped the bandage around my head and secured it tightly, handed Erik the bottle, which he took out of his bag and stood up, "All done, you had a very lucky escape. Now, be careful, and don't try to do too much at once, and if you feel faint at any time, just take one of these," and he gestured to the bottle, "it will restore your sugar levels and will cease your fainting spells."

"Thank you, thank you so, so much, Daroga." Erik said to Daroga and fished in his pocket and pulled out a sack, dug his hand in and put eight gold coins in his hand, "Take this, please, for all you've done"

"No, no, I couldn't possibly take it, I done it out of kindness, I wouldn't see a young girl in pain," he replied and went to give the money back, but Erik promptly refused, "No, take it, I insist."

Erik helped me up after Daroga had left and carried me down and put me into a carriage courtesy of a nearby towns-person and he went back to retrieve our shopping, then came back and we went back home. "Are you okay, Christina? I know you are feeling very shook up right now, as am I about today's events." He asked me when we finally arrived back at the house.

"I'm fine, thank you; could you pass me one of those tablets, please? I do not feel too clever. My feet are still unsteady from earlier." I replied, holding onto the side of the door frame trying to keep myself upright.

"If you don't feel too good, take a seat, I don't want you feeling ill, not after today, you got me quite scared, you know." He said to me, in a concerned voice as he handed me a tablet and a glass of water to take it with, before leading me to the living room, and laying me down next to where he sat. I took the tablet and I felt myself drift off into a light sleep, and I curled up next to him and hooked my arms around his.

When I woke up, I found that I in our bedroom to sleep more comfortably and no longer in the clothes I was wearing but a nightgown. Erik…Changed my clothes whilst I slept…Embarrassing… I thought, blushing fiercely at the thought of having my clothes changed by him.

As I sat up, I heard footsteps along the tiled floor, "Ah, you're awake, then?" He said when he walked in, smiling, to which I simply nodded. "How long was I asleep for?" I asked; I was not going to ask the question of 'Why did you change my clothes?' too soon.

"Well, we returned from the village at about 2PM, you had a tablet as soon as we got in, and then you fell asleep around 2:30PM, it's now 5PM so you only slept for 2 and a half hours. I also took the liberty in changing you out of your clothes, seeing as they were stained, and could not be bought back clean, I disposed of them, along with my shirt." He said walking over to me and sitting down on the bed and untying his shoes and taking them off, before lying down next to me, "I think we both could do with a very long rest, I am so glad that you are okay, I don't know what I'd honestly do if you didn't survive today."

I shifted my position slightly and lay my head on his chest, and smiled, "I'm sorry for ruining your shirt, Erik, and thanks for changing me out of my clothes as well." I placed a hand on his chest and shut my eyes for a few seconds, taking in his warmth and his smell, before sitting back up and sighing heavily.

"What's wrong?" he asked me as I sighed, "Do you still feel ill? I could get a doctor in to have a look if you want me to." He said to me, sitting up to look at me.

"No, it's nothing… It's just that…It doesn't matter…" I said and smiled, feeling foolish.

"Tell me… If anything is wrong, tell me, please. I do not want to see you hide your stress."

"It's just that, well, I don't know how I will go back. I mean, I don't know if I will EVER go back. If I did, I want you to come with me, but I don't know how it will work."

"I don't want to leave you anymore than the next person, but, please, don't stress over the fact about something that silly." He said and tapped me on my nose, before laughing slightly, just like he did in the production.

"I love the way you laugh...It's so mysterious." I said and giggled. "Well, I love the way you are you." he said before pinning my arms to the mattress and kissing my cheeks and lips multiple times. I tried to sit up but with the force I was kept where I was and was set to laughing as he carried on.

He eventually let up and I lay breathing heavily from all the laughing, my chest rising high and low. He just sat there laughing as I controlled my breathing, and when I finally sat up from controlling myself, I poked him in the chest, expecting it to be soft, but hurt my finger in the process, as it wasn't as soft as I thought it was.

I pulled him towards me and pressed my forehead against his, placing my hands on his shoulder, and gave a part wicked smile at him, "Two can play at that game" I snickered and began to kiss him back, but automatically losing dominance to him. His hands began to fumble up and down my body a bit and then leaned me back in the kiss so we were now laid down on the bed again. All the adrenaline made me forget about my head hurting so much.

My hands seemed to have a mind of their own and decided to fumble over his chest and tried to unbutton his shirt; he immediately knew what I was trying to do and finished the job himself, and shaking the shirt off on to the floor. Seeing his body for the first time since I met him was quite a shock, but I had mentally prepared for it, all his tattoos on show, all his muscles etcetera. His hands became busy again around my back and fumbled through my hair to get to the zip of my nightgown. He had obviously seen me bare before without me knowing so what's so wrong about him doing it again but with me knowing?

I felt the nightgown loosen as the zip was undone and my body was a quick reactant as it hit the cold but yet warm air. The slim spaghetti straps were pushed down my arms, leaving more of my body exposed, thank goodness for my small bodice, or I would have been VERY exposed.

We were both now breathing twice as fast as one another, feeling our lips swell more every second, his hands were now tangled in my hair and mine in his. I moved down to his mask and placed a hand on it, and gently slipped it off. I broke the kiss and kissed every part of his now uncovered face.

I felt his body stiffen as I did so, but felt it soften as I whispered "The part I love the most about you, is all of this" in his ear, and kissed the very top of his head and going back down, keeping a hand on his face as I went back to the kiss.

This happened for around about an hour or so, and when we were finally slicked with a thin layer of sweat, when our lips were 3 times as big as they normally were and when we were breathing uncontrollably, we stopped, collapsing on each other and breathing heavily.

We controlled our breaths at long last and sat up, giving each other one last long kiss. We then both looked at each other and in unison we both said, "So much for that long rest!" and we collapsed in a fit of laughter on to the pillows where I fell asleep again, and having Erik as a support for you, really made the sleep a lot more comforting...


	10. Chapter 10

I had to go back. Something told me I had to, but I did not know what. "Hey, Erik," I asked him one day, he looked up and looked over towards me from his piano.

"Yes?" was his short but curt reply that I received from him.

"Do you think it's about time I left?" I started, "I mean, I have been stuck in this period for too long…I don't know if I will ever get back… I do not want to leave, but I think I have to… I don't know why but I have this somewhat strange feeling that I have too."

He rose from his seat and walked over to me, "If you want to go, you may, you don't have to get my permission," he began and stopped in front of me, "I know why you don't want to go, anyway…"

I looked up at him and furrowed my brow, "Really? What is it?" I asked him in confusion.

"You don't want to leave me here on my own, as you were once Christine, but now have been proven not to be, meaning my Christine doesn't exist, but maybe she does inside you." He answered with a soft tone in his voice, as if he was not mad at me for saying I wanted to leave.

"Wow…That's…that's right, that's exactly why I don't want to leave you…" I said and wrapped my arms around him and muffled my face into his chest. "I don't want you to be alone…I want you to come with me, but I know it can't happen, it would be physically impossible for one to travel 100 years into the future, and as for me, I think…I think I just need to wake up. After all, that is how I got here…" I continued, still with my face in his chest.

"If you truly want to leave, I have no objection, Christina; I don't mind that Christine doesn't particularly exist anymore. If anything, I am glad I met you, because you are the one who I actually did fall in love with… Believe me when I say this but I am glad we left the Populaire. No one else could make me leave, except for you." He comforted, patting down the hair on my head.

"Thank you, I mean it," I began and pulled myself away and looked at him, "Do you think… Do you think that it would be possible to…to come with me?" I asked, my eyes glazing over as if I was going to cry.

"Mon Amie… If I would, I would, I truly would. But alas, I am afraid it can't be done." He said with a sorrowed tone to his voice.

My facial expressions went from a hopeful look to a hardened, saddened look, "Oh… Okay…" I stammered out and walked to the other side of the room.

"You're not upset, are you?" he asked, stalking over to where I stood. I simply nodded and tried to smile. "Hey, hey, you do know I would come back with you. I couldn't bear to be without you, you know." He reassured me and pulled me to his side with his arm around my shoulders.

"I know… I just…I just don't want to leave this, and everyone behind, Meg, Firmin, Andre, the others"

"Hey, you don't need to worry about them now, come on; you need a drink, because you are going very pale." He interrupted and we walked over to the kitchen.

He filled up a glass with water and handed it over to me and I took three long gulps of it. I placed the glass on the side and rubbed my forehead and temples. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked and half-smiled.

"Yeah, thanks." I said and pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

"You don't look better… Tell me honestly, Christina, how you are feeling?" he asked again and sat down opposite me.

"No…I'm fine, really, I am just…just not feeling like I normally am. I think it is starting to happen…I think it is almost time for me to go back. Erik I do not want to go back! Please! Please make it stop!" I cried and grabbed his hands and tears began streaming down my face.

"Shh… Shh, now, come on, don't cry, I wouldn't want you going back upset." He said and gingerly brushed his lips against my knuckles. He slid his chair back and stood up, and pulled mine back and took me back into the main room where the piano was.

He sat at the piano and gestured me to sit down next to him. He tapped the keys lightly to find the right chords, then began a melody and started to play and sing along to his music.

I can feel the wind change  
I can tell when something's not right  
Our love is the one thing that keeps us  
We will be alright  
In some other world you think you lost me  
You need to know  
I'm coming home, I'm coming home

He looked up from the piano and looked at me, "See, I wouldn't mind if you left, even if in some other world you think you will lose me, but that's not true, not true at all", he comforted and kissed the top of my head.

I smiled slightly and rested my head on his shoulder, "See, this is what I am going to miss, you being that lovely guy and singing to me when I feel stressed. That is what I am going to miss." I said and sighed heavily.

"Well, you said yourself you have songs of me singing, didn't you? How about using them, I am sure they will work just as well." He replied.

"That's a great idea. Thanks, Erik," I answered and smiled for what may have been the first time that day.

"My pleasure," he started, "Now, it's about time you ate and went to sleep, and the same goes for me, what do you want?" he asked as he stood up.

"Anything, please, I am not a fussy eater," I replied and giggled slightly. He left the room and stayed in the kitchen for about 40 minutes, before calling me over and setting out a plate of food in front of me.

On the plate was a small piece of chicken, with a variety of steamed vegetables and boiled potatoes. It was a very big dinner, and to top it off a small glass of water placed on a table mat.

We ate in silence, only the sliding of the cutlery and the light sound of the glasses placed on the table breaking it.

The house cleaners bustled in and out every few minutes, filling up glasses, cleaning the table, etc. before taking away our plates into the kitchen.

We stood up from the table, walked back into the lounge, and sat on the two-seated sofa. He sat near the cushion and I sat next to him and rested my head on his shoulder, before taking my legs up and curling up against him.

I sleepily slurred out "When would you like me to go…?"

I felt his arm slide around and heard him sigh heavily, "That is completely your choice, Christina. I have told you, I do not want you to go, and I know you have too. In addition, I know that you know that too." He turned and looked at me, "But, I will be sad to see you go, after coming this far with me. Once a mistaken identity and now as close as we are, that will be the most painful thing of all."

I sat up and stretched, "I am going to miss you… You do know that, right?"

He laughed, "Of course I do," the clock began to dismiss long chimes, 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… 10. "Come on, it's about time we both got some sleep, this may be our last night together." He said, his tone sorrowful and he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. He put my down and pulled back the covers, and walked out, "I'll leave you to change," he simply said as he did so.

I went into the drawers, pulled out a long nightgown, and slipped it on, before washing my face and slipping under the covers. "I'm done; you can come back in now." I said quietly, and he walked back in, wearing long black silken trousers and a matching shirt, his mask was off and he walked over to my side of the bed, kissed the top of my head and walked back around, before sliding into the bed himself.

I lay down and turned to face him, and gently gripped his hand, "I'll miss you…" I whispered, and shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~ (O~O) ~

I can see everything and everyone all around me. Erik, Meg, everybody I have seen, in this dreamland. I can also see my own family, back at my own home. I felt like I was stuck in between two dimensions, but I did not know which way to go. Do I wake up and go back home? Alternatively, do I stay? I do not know what to do…

"Christina… You do what you want to. It is your choice, after all," Erik's voice said comfortingly.

I looked behind me and saw him there, his eyes shiny with unwept tears, I tried to walk towards him and give him one last hug goodbye, but something was stopping me, I could not see what was stopping me.

No! I had to say goodbye! I could not leave without saying goodbye to him!

I held my arms out to him and felt the tears leave my eyes, "ERIK! I love y-"

~ (O~O) ~

I sat up right in my bed, breathing heavy. I looked all around me; I was home…

"No!" I screamed aloud, holding my head in my hands, and started crying again.

"Christina?" I heard from outside my room, a familiar voice, no…could it be?

The door opened and a figure walked in wearing a familiar black suit and switched on the light. I waited for my eyes to adjust and looked up.

"Erik?" I whispered, "I thought you couldn't…" I trailed off, "That doesn't matter… You're here, that's all that matters." I continued and jumped out of my bed and hugged him. He was real. He really was there. It was not my imagination for once.

"Now, why don't you go back to sleep, it's still quite early." He said and walked me back to the bed; I glanced at the clock, 2:38 AM.

"Erik, where are you staying? How did you get here?" I asked as I slipped back into bed.

"I'll answer all your questions in the morning, now go back to sleep, okay." He said before kissing the top of my head and walked out switching the light off as he left.

I sighed happily and shut my eyes again.

At least he is back… I thought before going to sleep again. Who knows… This may be a new start for us now… I just hope it is…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> final chapter now uploaded, hope you enjoyed! :D


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